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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Indulgences	Anne	Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Question: Dear Brother Ignatius, I am sorry to hear about your illness. I hope you will be well soon. Last night we studied how important it was to pray for the Hloly Souls in purgatory, a practice that has been neglected by many. We read about indulgences in the CCC etc... The class understands well about them. One question though: I was asked, "since when has the Church taught about indulgences?" I know the power of confering indulgences was granted by Christ to the Church. Can you help me give a good explanation? any reading from the Early Fathers etc... ? Thank you and God Bless you. Anne
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+ Dear Anne: Thank you for your prayers for my illness. Actually I am chronically ill and disabled, but this last week has been far worse than usual. I am feeling better, barely, and can work for short periods -- hence trying to catch up on these Q&As. Prayers are always appreciated. The Encyclopedia article, Indulgences, gives not only an explantion of what Indulgences are and are not, but also references some church documents and Church Fathers. In doing a quick survey of Church Fathers, the idea of indulgences is taught by Tertullian in A.D. 200; St. Cyprian of Carthage in A.D. 251; and St. Ambrose in A.D. 387. These teachings were not invented by these men, but mentioned by them. This means the idea of Indulgences was already in play by the time they wrote what they wrote. Thus, the teaching on Indulgences, implied in Scripture itself, was first referred to in writing as early as A.D. 200 and most certainly taught and believed before then. So the bottomline answer: Indulgences have been taught by the Church since the beginning and most certainly by A.D. 200 when Tertullian made reference to this teaching (that already existed). God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Indulgences

Anne

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Question:

Dear Brother Ignatius,

I am sorry to hear about your illness. I hope you will be well soon.
Last night we studied how important it was to pray for the Hloly Souls in purgatory, a practice that has been neglected by many. We read about indulgences in the CCC etc... The class understands well about them.

One question though: I was asked, "since when has the Church taught about indulgences?"

I know the power of confering indulgences was granted by Christ to the Church. Can you help me give a good explanation? any reading from the Early Fathers etc... ?

Thank you and God Bless you. Anne

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+

Dear Anne:

Thank you for your prayers for my illness. Actually I am chronically ill and disabled, but this last week has been far worse than usual. I am feeling better, barely, and can work for short periods -- hence trying to catch up on these Q&As. Prayers are always appreciated.

The Encyclopedia article, Indulgences, gives not only an explantion of what Indulgences are and are not, but also references some church documents and Church Fathers.

In doing a quick survey of Church Fathers, the idea of indulgences is taught by Tertullian in A.D. 200; St. Cyprian of Carthage in A.D. 251; and St. Ambrose in A.D. 387.

These teachings were not invented by these men, but mentioned by them. This means the idea of Indulgences was already in play by the time they wrote what they wrote. Thus, the teaching on Indulgences, implied in Scripture itself, was first referred to in writing as early as A.D. 200 and most certainly taught and believed before then.

So the bottomline answer: Indulgences have been taught by the Church since the beginning and most certainly by A.D. 200 when Tertullian made reference to this teaching (that already existed).

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum